Posts Tagged ‘TeleZoom Reflector’

So you think your last shoot was challenging? Well, try shooting on top of a snowy alpine summit in -20°C with screaming winds, occasional fog and clouds with snowfall. That’s what Michael Mueller did.

“The client wanted images in the same style as car ads,” says Michael Mueller – fearless photographer and dauntless adventurer in equal measures. “They wanted clean, super perfect images with blue skies and white mountain tops. Being a brand for serious athletes, it was also important that the images showed a real challenge. We couldn’t make it easy for ourselves. We had to climb high and shoot real athletes doing real things.”

Canadian fashion photographer Miguel Jacob was asked by luxury clothing company Marlowe to do something elegant and sophisticated. Keep reading to learn how he did it.

Miguel Jacob was born and raised in Lima, Peru, but has lived in Canada for many years now. Here he has grown to become a sought-after fashion photographer. Some of you might have seen his work for brands such as Sears, Universal Records and Warner Bros. Others might recognize him from being a guest photographer on America’s Next Top Model as well as on Jay Manuel’s Style Her Famous.

Miguel has made a name for himself as a photographer with a knack for creating cool and sophisticated images in which light plays a central role. It was for this exact reason that luxury-clothing company Marlowe contacted him.

“Known for their singular vision of understated elegance and sophistication, Marlowe is a brand with a strong history and brand identity,” says Miguel. “In shooting the clothes, I wanted to evoke the elegance present in the fashion photographs of Horst P. Horst and George Hoyningen-Huene as well as the Hollywood portraits of George Hurrell. It was of the outmost importance to create imagery that was timeless and modern without seaming nostalgic.” Read More

Answer: the shape. We learned this from Brooklyn-based portrait and editorial photographer Nigel Morris, who had a hard time finding a suitable bag for his beloved reflector.

“Those of you that follow this blog, know that I am a, “if all else fails, look to music instrument cases for a solution” type of guy,” Nigel writes. “The thought hit me one day. There is a drum that is similar to the shape of the Telezoom, I just have to find out the proper name for said drum, and then hit the big name music stores.”

The drum turned out to be a djembe, and thus, Nigel had found a solution.

Michael Mueller’s stunning images for the Dynafit winter collection struck a chord amongst photographers and athletes alike. Seeing perfectly lit skiers fighting their way through a snowstorm is not something you see every day. It was inspiring, regardless of whether you are a photographer or athlete.

So, it should come as no surprise that Dynafit once again contacted Michael when the time came to shoot its summer collection. The assignment was similar: shoot the athletes in a larger than life way, yet with a natural feel. But there were some important differences: it was now summertime and the subjects were fearless alpine runners.

“In a way it’s easier to shoot in wintertime, because the snow reflects the light so you don’t need as many flashes,” says Michael. “We brought three flash heads for the winter shoot. This time we brought six. In addition, we could now only go up to 2,000 meters by car, so we had to hike the final 500 meters to the top.”

Profoto is more than a brand and a line of products. It is also the place where some us work and spend our weekdays. Have you ever wondered who we are or what the thinking was behind the design of this or that piece of equipment? Then join us behind the scenes at Profoto! Today, we talk to Chief Designer Pär Blixt.

Pär Blixt translates to Pär Flash. He is, in other words, Mr. Flash. For real.

“I remember when I was interviewed for this position,” says Pär. “It was about 15 years ago. Our CEO Anders Hedebark called me and asked me a bunch of questions and I replied honestly. Pleased with the answers, Anders hung up and went over to the R&D Department to tell the Manager there that he wanted to hire me. But the Manager wasn’t as impressed. ‘Mr. Flash? Seriously? Anders, are you sure this guy isn’t just pulling your leg?’ So, Anders called me back and asked me: ‘You’re not pulling my leg, are you!?’”

But Mr. Flash was dead serious, and so he got the job. Ever since, Pär has been Profoto’s Chief Designer. As such, he is the one who decides how the products should look on the inside and on the outside. His first contribution was to create a battery cassette for the Pro-7b, which made it possible for photographers to replace the actual battery themselves. Since then, he has designed the D4, the Pro-8, the AcuteB, the Pro-B2, the Pro-B3 and the Pro-B4, to name just a few examples. In other words, if you appreciate the form and function of any of the above-mentioned products, you have Pär to thank. Read More